Lyretail anthia sick or metamorphosis?

[Formulator]

I’ve had this lyretail for several years and it has just remained female in the absence of any other anthias in the tank. Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed some dark purple splotchy patches and a couple bright purple marks on fins. I’ve circled in the photo below. She is also looking a little ragged in general and just tonight I noticed a nip out of her dorsal fin. All of her scales also seem to have a slight tinge of purple on the edges which makes me hopeful she is just going through a sexual metamorphosis. Thoughts?

 

[littlefoxx]

Thats what it looks like to me too!

 

[Formulator]

Thats what it looks like to me too!

Awesome! Thank you for the reassurance! So cool I get to watch this transformation! Do you know why she would have been triggered to morph without adding any other lyretails?

 

[littlefoxx]

Awesome! Thank you for the reassurance! So cool I get to watch this transformation! Do you know why she would have been triggered to morph without adding any other lyretails?

No, Ive only ever had them in schools with an established male

 

[crazyfishmom]

Stress events or a dominant fish even if not an anthias can trigger those changes. Pretty cool!

 

[Formulator]

No, Ive only ever had them in schools with an established male

I was actually planning to add more females to get a harem going. I guess now I will wait for the meta to complete.

 

[littlefoxx]

Stress events or a dominant fish even if not an anthias can trigger those changes. Pretty cool!

Interesting!

 

[littlefoxx]

I was actually planning to add more females to get a harem going. I guess now I will wait for the meta to complete.

Im guessing if you add more females she might change a little faster? My cousin’s lone female did that when he added more females

 

[Formulator]

Im guessing if you add more females she might change a little faster? My cousin’s lone female did that when he added more females

Oh, nice! I didn’t know that was an option. How long does meta typically take?

 

[Formulator]

Stress events or a dominant fish even if not an anthias can trigger those changes. Pretty cool!

Interesting! She had to live in the tank during my renovation at the beginning of the year. I wonder if the tank transformation has something to do with it. She has stuck around through thick and thin!

 

[littlefoxx]

Oh, nice! I didn’t know that was an option. How long does meta typically take?

Im not sure I just remember him saying he felt like adding more females to his harem after his male died made the dominate female change faster than when he just added all females and let one change.

 

[crazyfishmom]

My LFS recommended that when my swallowtail female started to turn… didn’t really help. But I do like having two of them … Lyretails are awesome so I would definitely add more!